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Music educators, schools brace for impact of Ohio governor’s budget

Ohio schools have more difficult decisions to make following the March 15, 2011 unveiling of Gov. John Kasich’s state budget proposal. The 2012-2013 budget will reduce payments to school districts by $1.3 billion over two years, a result of the loss of federal stimulus money and recent changes to tax policies. Though districts will lose billions overall, Kasich’s budget seeks more funding for poorer districts and a 3.5 percent increase in state funding for K-12 schools.

During austere times, the future of public school music education programs can be uncertain. State and federal mandates to increase standardized test scores in reading, writing, social studies, math and science can mean less funding for arts and athletics programs.

Historically, Columbus, Ohio schools have sought to close this funding gap by seeking property tax levies, introducing pay-to-participate student fees, reducing staff or closing schools. Public school music programs exist at the K-12 level for all Columbus school districts, but funding these programs is an ongoing challenge for district administrators, educators and parents.

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In Grove City, all after-school activities, including marching band, were suspended for the 2009-2010 school year following the failure of the district’s levy. After the passage of a new levy in November 2009, after-school athletics and marching band were restored.

Bob McNutt, director of bands at Central Crossing High School in Grove City, said historically, levies are difficult to pass in his district. He said he didn’t want to think about what might happen with the next levy vote.

“Ohio funds differently than other states. It is beyond me, just beyond me, why we can’t figure that out,” he said. “Everything about it is unfair. People are reacting unfairly because the basic root of the problem is unfair. So if the root is unfair and the basis of it is unfair, there’s nothing fair you can do.”

According to McNutt, Grove City schools receive very little funding from the district, and rely heavily on non-profit booster organizations, which raised more than $130,000 in 2010 for Central Crossing’s music programs.

In Pickerington, the school board decided not to wait to see what the new state budget would have in store for them — they released their $13 million reduction plan in January, 2011, which eliminated nearly 100 jobs. Music teachers in the district will be vertically integrated, meaning they are responsible for music education across multiple schools, a model that’s common in Columbus-area schools.

The Kilbourne Singers
at Worthington Kilbourne High School
rehearse under the direction of Larry Griffin

In Upper Arlington, music educators are vertically integrated. Mike Manser, an instrumental music director at Upper Arlington High School, said he prefers this model because it builds closer relationships with each child and encourages them to stay involved in music.

Manser said that although he’s comfortable in a situation where budget cuts are necessary, he realizes that not all districts are financially secure.

“At CCS [Columbus City Schools], their arts programs get literally no funding. To offer a class and not to fund it, as a parent, I was frustrated with that,” he said. “I believe that more funds should go into that. But that’s a difficult thing to argue for when people only look at the quantitative results of testing.”

Todd Phillips, a music director at Canal Winchester High School in Canal Winchester, said the district has never been flush with money, but the district’s administration has always been even-handed with budget reductions.

“We do need to find ways, in our situation, to come up with extra money. That’s just reality,” he said. “If we have a wost-case, that budgets are near zero, I know how to deal with it, because I’ve had years where we had no money, and yet, I had to come up with something.”

Larry Griffin, director of choirs at Worthington Kilbourne High School in Worthington, said he wasn’t worried about budget cuts because he thinks parents and kids will fight to keep these programs funded. Griffin said the best way to keep music in schools is to vote for levies.

“The key is getting the people who are on the ball, that want this to happen, they should come out and vote. I think that’s the whole thing, people just don’t [vote],” he said. “Most people do want music in the schools. I just think that  some people are lazy, and won’t come out to vote.”

Hear interviews with music educators:

The Case for Music Education
It’s difficult to find anyone who will argue that K-12 public schools should not fund music education programs. This may be because 77 percent of adults were involved in music programs when they were in school, according to a 2008 poll from Harris Interactive.

But as educators struggle with new ways to prepare children for a competitive, global economy, arts programs continue to face cuts at the federal and state levels. Because the benefits of music education can’t be easily quantified, music educators and advocates highlight the qualitative benefits music has in a child’s education.

Phillips said music can act as an incentive to help keep kids in school. He said he often has to kick kids out of class at the end of the period, because they want to stay and continue making music.

A music quote painted on the wall
at Canal Winchester High School

“I do believe all the statistics — and there are mountains of them — that say students who are involved in music education, or arts education in general, they have higher grade points, they do better on standardized tests, they have a higher maturity level, they have a better focus, everything of that nature … and I see it,” he said. “The kids who are involved in our programs, they’re the ones who are honor society students, they’re the ones that are valedictorians, they’re the ones who are successful in so many arenas.”

There are many studies that correlate children’s participation in music with their academic success and achievements as adults. A 1999 UCLA study linked found that the more time a child spends in instrumental music programs, the more proficient at math they tended to be, regardless of the child’s socioeconomic status. A 2010 article from Scientific American said that neuroscientists studying the effect of music on the brain found that “… music lessons can produce profound and lasting changes that enhance the general ability to learn.”

Kolin Redman, an instrumental music director at Upper Arlington High School, argues that in addition to its academic benefits, music prepares students to be productive, contributing members of their community.

“It’s just yet another opportunity where a student in a math class might not feel like they’ve contributed anything to the community, where in a band, all of a sudden, three notes make a big deal,” he said. “Their contribution is noted, and they feel sort of a sense of purpose.”

Manser said that music helps children develop creative solutions for situations that demand critical thinking. He said it also gives children a vehicle to be passionate about an activity without direction from adults.

“Having that passion opens up opportunities, creativity and worth ethic, and just all sorts of positives, outside the art of music,” he said.

Marc Bridon, a music education student at Ohio State University, said that music may also encourage students to be more outgoing and become engaged in their community.

“Being in the classroom, you find that kids don’t want to participate because it means being individualized, and you have to stand out from the group. And if they’re wrong, sometimes they might feel inadequate,” he said. “In band, it’s the other way around. The collective wants to help itself grow. And so even being individualized in a group can be a good thing, a positive situation.”

McNutt said music programs teaches children discipline through practice and self-evaluation. “When they go on in life, or even go back in the classroom, we try to tell them ‘If you’re doing that here, you can do that in a  book. Go back and read it again.’ It works,” he said. “Band translates to life. The way they carry themselves and how they view themselves and how they criticize themselves. Band members can take constructive criticism every day.”

Parents agree that music programs help their children develop character. Brenda Stone, a parent in Grove City, said music has helped her son not only academically, but has also given him a sense of identity.

“I think music education is very important to be part of the school curriculum, not even as extra, but as part of the curriculum,” she said. “It made him a better student as far as he’s very conscientious with music, but then he’s very conscientious with his school work. I think it carries over. That discipline, that commitment, that kind of thing you learn through music.”

Deanna Chatfield, a parent in Grove City, said the music program helped her daughter develop more self-esteem and leadership qualities.

“My daughter has grown so much in this program. The discipline, the leadership qualities that they develop. I think that all of that just helps them to become leaders for tomorrow,” she said. “It’s one of the most important things in high school because it does build character and skills for life.”

Griffin said there are larger lessons to be learned from music, not just in schools, but throughout our increasingly global society.

“If you go to another country, I may not be able to speak your language, but I can sing. And that, somehow, connects us,” he said. “Everyone has something we can learn, and we learn it through music.”

Audio music credit: Igor Stravinsky (conductor, composer), “L’Histoire du soldat” (1932), used with Creative Commons license

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Posted on March 16, 2011 at 9:29 am in Advocacy, Budget Cuts, Local, Music Educators, Ohio, Reaction and Analysis   |  RSS feed |   Reply   |   Trackback URL

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